Floating target and disc game apparatus



Oct. 1, 1968 c. M. KELLER 3,403,907

FLOATING TARGET AND DISC GAME APPARATUS Filed April 16, 1965 44454 M Killfi wrme za/fiz/ag .s'aaewz/mdsrazzi Arraz/ug s United States Patent 3,403,907 FLOATING TARGET AND DISC GAME APPARATUS Clara M. Keller, 12630 Mitchell Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90066 Filed Apr. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 448,644

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-95) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hollow, open-ended receptacle is held in an upright position in the water of, say, a pool by a float member. One open end is submerged and the other extends above the water surface. Buoyant disc-like missiles with indicia provided on major outer surfaces thereof are thrown by game players toward the floating receptacle from a distance.

This invention relates to a game of skill, and more particularly to a structure which may act as a receptacle for missiles to be tossed thereinto, and the missiles themselves.

The device of the present invention will have applications other than those to be specifically shown and described herein. The invention is therefore not limited to the said shown or described applications. For example, the device of the present invention may be used in a swimming pool or on water anywhere. However, the device may also be used in the living room of privately owned dwellings or the like as well.

The present invention includes .a plurality of structures. One is a hollow device to catch the missiles. Another is a missile. Preferably several missiles are employed.

The device to catch the missiles may be a hollow cylinder made of plastic sheet material. However, this particular type is not absolutely essential although this construction has substantial utility. Further, buoy-ant means may be fixed to the cylinder in a position to hold the cylinder vertical on top of a body of water.

Still another feature of the missile holding device of the present invention resides in floating the cylinder with its lower end partially submerged. This construction prevents missiles that fall inside of the cylinder from slipping out from under it. Further, the submersion of the cylinder and its lower end construction that encircles a quantity of water keep the cylinder steady and stable, and prevent it from moving rapidly over the top surface of the water.

According to another feature of the present invention, a missile is provided including two concave circular sheets fixed together at their edges, the sheets providing a missile having convex external surfaces.

The above-described and other advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings which are to be regarded as merely illustrative FIG. 1 is a perspective view of three component parts of the device of the present invention which may be employed in a swimming pool;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the device taken on the line 22 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a missile constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the missile shown in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 1, some component parts of the device of the present invention are shown in a swimming pool 10. The device includes vertical wall enclosure means 11 and "ice missiles '12 and 13 to be tossed into means 11. Missile 12 is being thrown by a boy 14. Means 10 contains missile 13'.

As shown in FIG. 2, means 11 includes a hollow cylindrical polyethylene sheet 15 that has a rib 16 that extends around its external surface. Means 10 also includes a fioat 17. Float 17 is also made of polyethylene. Float 17 has a rectangular cross section and extends around cylinder 15. The internal surface of float 17 has a groove 18 which fits rib 16.

Inside of cylinder 15, it will be noted that missile 13 has upper and lower halves 19 and 20, respectively. Upper half 19 has a hooked shaped rim 21. Lower half 20 simply snaps into rim 21. Missile 13 is also a float, the snap fit of lower half 20 into upper half 19' being air tight.

Cylinder 15 has on upper half 22 which extends above water level 10' and lower half 23 which extends below the surface of water level 10'.

Missile 12 is again shown in both FIGS. 4 and 5.

If desired, games may be played with the device of the present invention including the means 10 and missiles 12 and 13 and the like. If desired, as many as twenty missiles may be employed. The missiles may be of a diameter of 4 /2 inches. More than one means 10 may be provided, if desired. Preferably, the missiles should weight about two ounces. Each player may have a set of five missiles. The :five missiles may be yellow, green, red, blue or white. Each disc may be marked on one side with playing card symbols of the ace, the queen, the king, the jack and the ten. The other side of each missile may have symbols of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Children :can play by score. The first to reach a score of twenty-five may be considered the winner of the game.

Adults may play a game such as poker.

Note will be taken that the missiles 12 and 13 may also be made of a polyethylene plastic. Sides 19 and 20 are slightly convex away from each other. They therefore provide a hollow air space between them so that the missiles will float. Further, the polyethylene plastic material of which the missiles are made make them sturdy and relatively unbreakable. Further, the amusement device of the present invention may be played indoors, as well as in a swimming pool. In that event, furniture will not be marred, scratched otherwise damaged by the missiles, due to the fact that the missiles are made of a relatively soft, yieldable and somewhat resilient plastic, such as polyethylene.

Games may be played in accordance with the present invention by hanging the means 11 at a relatively high elevation by placing the game in a manner similar to the manner in which basketball is played.

The device of the present invention may be used to play a game in a manner similar to the manner in which horseshoes or quoits is played. Further, games may be played with the device of the present invention in a swimming pool as indicated in FIG. 1 in the drawings.

Special rules for games may be provided, or rules may be established from time to time as a game progresses.

Games may be played by the use of the device of the present invention by people of all ages. Games may be devised which are either relatively active or relatively passive.

Float 17 may be twelve inches in its outside diameter and 8%, inches in its inside diameter. It may be made of polyethylene as described or it may be made of Styrofoam or other similar plastic material. Float 17 may be hollow, as shown, or cellular or solid. However, it should float and it should be somewhat rigid so as to hold its shape. Float 17 may have a thickness of inch. The rib 3 16 may have a thickness of approximately ,4 inch. The rib may have a & inch radius. The material of the polyethylene wall of float 17 may be inch thick all the way around.

The cylinder 15 may be of an 8 inch outside diameter and a 7% inch inside diameter. The cylinder 15 may be 4 inches high.

The missiles may all be the same size. For this reason, the size and shape of missile 13 only will be described. The shape of the surfaces of parts 19 and 20 of missile 13 may be a section of a thin spherical surface 8%. inches in radius. The thickness of parts 19 and 20 of missile 13 may be inch. The overall thickness of missile 13 may be A; inch. The overall diameter of part 19 of missile 13 may be 4 /2 inches. The overall outside diameter of part 20 of missile 13 may be 4% inches. The maximum interior spacing of parts 19 and 20 of missile 13 may be /2 inch.

Dimension A shown in FIG. 2 may be inch. Dimension B shown in FIG. 2 may be inch.

Preferably, missiles made in accordance with the Present invention are made of a plastic material which will float and have some degree of rigidity. The missiles may be either hollow or solid.

As part 20* is resiliently snap fit into part 19 of missile 13, so also rib 16 is snap fit into float groove 18.

Means 16} may be a solid color, if desired. Alternatively, cylinder 15 and float 17 may be of different colors.

In general, games employing the device of the present invention are played by tossing the missiles in the center of the cylinder 15. Cylinder 15 can be floating in pool as shown at FIG. 2. Alternatively, cylinder may rest upon the floor in the house. Further, cylinder 15 may rest upon the lawn. Games may also be played on the beach or in the park. It also may be hung from a tree limb. The score of any game maybe calculated on the number of missiles that come to rest inside cylinder 15.

Note will be taken that missiles 12 and 13 being made of a rather soft and yieldable plastic will not be dangerous to persons playing the game or in the vicinity thereof. The distances between the persons playing the game and the means '11 may be determined arbitrarily as may be desired. The game may be played in a great many ways. Only certain ones of missiles may be selected for playing if desired. The games also may be played in a large number of places, as stated previously.

By playing the game in accordance with the device of the present invention, skill in playing other games requiring aiming may be increased.

Games may be created similar to baseball. For example, a missile in cylinder 15 may represent a home run, a lean missile a third base hit, a missile a certain distance away from cylinder 15 a two base hit, a missile a further distance away a one base hit. In such a way, two people can play.

Although the internal and external surfaces of cylinder 15 are described herein as being vertical, it is to be understood that it is not necessary for either one of these surfaces to be precisely vertical. Hence, when the word vertical is used, some latitude in definition should be ascribed to this word. That is, the word vertical, as used herein, is defined as meaning that the surfaces of cylinder 15 are only approximately vertical.

Although the shape of member 15 is in fact cylindrical, it is to be understood that a great many shapes may be employed other than a cylindrical shape. The true scope of the invention should therefore not be limited to the cylindrical shape of the member 15, many other shapes being equivalent thereto for the purposes hereof. Along this same line, a top plan view of float 17 is annular, but this view need not disclose an annular shape, a rectangular square or other shape of course being possible without departing from the invention.

The rectangular shape of the cross section of float 17 is also not critical to the practice of the present invention.

Although a polyethylene plastic is of some special use, the present invention is not limited to that particular material, since other materials may be employed.

It is an outstanding feature of the present invention that the lower end 23 of cylinder 15 is submerged when suspended from float 17. This construction prevents missiles 12 and 13 from slipping out from under cylinder 15 due to the motion of water in pool 10 or simply from the impact of missiles 12 and 13 on the water inside cylinder 15.

It is also an outstanding feature of the present invention that the submersion of end 23 of cylinder 15 encircles a quantity of water at 24. This keeps cylinder 15 in a relatively steady, stable and stationary position. Cylinder 15 is therefore prevented from moving rapidly over water surface 10.

Although only one specific embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated herein, many changes and modifications will of course suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. This single embodiment has been selected for this disclosure for the purpose of illustration only. The present invention should therefore not be limited to the embodiment so selected, the true scope of the invention being defined only in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An aquatic game, comprising: a relatively flat float member having a mounting opening passing through the major surfaces thereof; an open-ended tubular structure, the longitudinal dimension of which is substantialy less than its internal cross section opening dimension, said structure being received within the mounting opening of the float member such that when the two are disposed in the water substantially one half of the long dimension of the structure is submerged with the remainder of the structure extending above the water surface; and at least one disc-like, buoyant missile for being thrown toward the floating, open-ended structure from a distance.

2. The aquatic game of claim 1, in which the maximum width dimension of the missile is slightly more than onehalf the internal cross-sectional dimension of the structure opening.

3. The aquatic game of claim 1, in which the two major surfaces of the disc-like missile extend convexly outwardly a slight amount in a symmetrical manner, whereby when floating in the water said missile will tend to maintain its disposition exposing the same major surface outwardly of the water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,014,723 12/ 1961 Butler.

678,265 7/1901 LOW. 1,114,523 10/1914 Revell 273-105 1,292,011 1/1919 Monroe 273 X 2,410,845 11/1946 Shell et al. 2,666,642 1/1954 Ward 273- X OTHER REFERENCES Playthings, July 1964, vol. 62, No. 7, page 168.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner. 

